Friday Thing: Minecraft

So I’m going to do a “Friday Thing” and post non-sim games stuff on Friday. Today we’re doing Minecraft.

This is High Meadow.It’s still under construction. High Meadow is a land in Westmarch* that is based on the core traditions of mining and farming. People here trade stone and fruits to their neighbors. When you arrive in High Meadow there is a small welcome building.

You are welcome to gather all the fruits and vegetables you made need. There are even two shopping “baskets” for you to use if you need help carrying anything home. Just look in the chest. I can say that it takes about two days and at least two chests plus an almost empty inventory to harvest everything on this hill.

Inside the tiny building and down a few flights of stairs we are building a proper Welcome Hall. And yes, that is the official High Meadow flag – it is a flower on a field of grass.

Just across the bridge behind the farms is High Meadow Castle which overlooks the farmland. The castle walls are just now going up. They’re not really there for defenses but for aesthetics. In minecraft it’s always for aesthetics. The motto of Westmarch is “build it beautiful.” To the right you can see the Wizard’s tower and lightening observatory. The castle is harder to see but it’s on the left.

Once inside the walls, we have the main gate to the castle. These will be great “before” pictures. So stay tuned to see how much this changes of the next few months. I have plans for this courtyard.

My inspiration, you ask? When I was in Spain this fall we passed the little town of Castrojeriz. The town has the ruins of a castle on top of the hill.

We climbed to the top of the hill in the sun and heat. (It was worth it and we had packed a lunch!)

In my imagination, below is the same view as my minecraft one above. This is also facing the castle gates. We are in the walled courtyard looking at the remains of the castle itself.

According to the signage around the castle, the courtyard had a stable, blacksmith and other shops that directly contributed to the castle. My courtyard is a bit smaller due to how tiny the hill it’s on, but I hope to fill up my courtyard similarly.

And don’t worry, I took about 100 pictures of this castle so I could use it as inspiration while I build High Meadow Castle.

Let’s go inside, shall we? Just inside the castle is the front foyer which lead to the rest of the castle…or will once it’s built! These door will head to the guest rooms, kitchens, and the back gardens. The stairs behind us go up to the main living quarters.

That’s really all I have to show right now of the top level. I’m not one much for building ON the surface, so we’re focusing on that first. There will be much more soon. (Plus I can show you what I’ve done underground).

Just for comparison, here’s a really old before/after pictures. We’re looking down from the top of the castle…before there was a castle. This was taken on Day 1 of High Meadow. Not a single block has been harmed yet. (If you see the green dot on the hill that’s where you arrive and where I’ve built that tiny welcome house you saw.

And now, looking down from the top of the castle today. Almost the exact same view. My render distance is a bit further but, still… Comparing these two, you can get an idea of how I build or rather use the existing shapes to build around and then go from there. I’ll be sure to take more pictures from this spot so we can watch the landscape change around us. And change it shall!

That’s all for now!

*Westmarch: I’m playing minecraft on AKiss4Luck‘s minecraft server. Want more information? Eva’s website lists which mods we’re using, as well as how to join the server. Also be sure to check out her youtube or twitch channels, she plays sims, minecraft, city building games, skyrim, and much more. Plus she is a wonderful person. You won’t regret watching her! I know I haven’t.